Melilla: an attempted fraud targeting Morocco

The suspicion that Morocco could have intervened in the vote-buying scheme detected in Melilla in order to alter the election results of this Sunday is extraordinarily serious. As we published today, people related to the Coalition for Melilla (CpM) party met in Morocco with agents from Rabat before the fraud attempt took place. If it is confirmed that the Alaouite kingdom is behind the maneuver, we would be facing a clear case of interference by a pot.

foreign policy in national policy. Specifically, in Melilla, a very sensitive enclave for Spain and for the whole of Europe and whose sovereignty Morocco has always claimed.

The investigation into the purchase of postal votes yesterday led the National Police to make seven new arrests – they already add up to a total of ten – and several records that

, a Muslim-oriented formation in favour of strengthening relations with Morocco. The authorities searched a party premises and arrested two people linked to it: Mohamed Ahmed Al-lal, advisor to the tripartite government of Melilla (Cs, PSOE and CpM) and number three of the CpM for 28-M; and Abdel-ilah Nourdine Ahmed, son-in-law of the party's leader, Mustafa Aberchan, whom intelligence sources point to as Morocco's man in Melilla.

Aberchán is currently a key player. In fact, he cannot stand for election because the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years in prison and 30 months of disqualification for running a postal vote-buying network in 2008. On this occasion, the alarms jumped in Melilla when it was detected that

, an unusual percentage that multiplies by seven the records of previous elections and that could have significantly modified the outcome of the elections.

The investigation must reach the ultimate consequences, since the citizen's confidence in the fairness of the electoral process and in the reliability of the counting of the ballots is the cornerstone of the democratic system. But, in addition, the possible role of Morocco -involved in dark operations such as the case

or the

- In the attempted fraud adds a very worrying component to this episode. Especially at a time when

without Spanish citizenship having received an explanation.

In the population of Melilla there is a widespread feeling that the marketing of votes has taken root. This is a democratic anomaly that must be firmly combated. A serious state

. Nor about the possible interference of other countries, even more so if they are allies.